Friends of Oregon Track and Field
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2013 VOLUME V - ISSUE 2
NCAA® Women’s Cross Country Champions
Above: Oregon women celebrating their 2012 NCAA Cross Country Championship.
Women of Oregon NCAA Champions! Coming off a fifth place team finish at the 2011 NCAA Cross Country Championship in Terre Haute, the Women of Oregon began the 2012 season strong with first place team finishes at the Pier Park and Dellinger Invitationals. Led by seniors Jordan Hasay and Alexi Pappas and freshman Allie Woodward, the Ducks continued to impress at the NCAA Pre-Nationals in Louisville as they cruised to a second place team finish, just a mere fifteen points behind the #1 ranked Florida State Seminoles. Just weeks later, the Women of Oregon made school history winning their first Conference Championship since 1995. The Women of Oregon won the team title easily behind second (Hasay), fourth (Pappas) and fifth (Woodward) place individual finishes. Freshman Annie LeBlanc and senior Sarah Penney rounded out the top five Oregon runners placing 17th and 19th respectively. At the conclusion of the meet, Hasay was honored as the Pac-12 Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year for the third year in a row. The memorable season continued as Hasay led the Women of Oregon to gold at the NCAA West Region Championship with her first place individual finish. It was the 13th West Region title for the Ducks, but the first in 17 years. The Women of Oregon concluded their incredible season clinching their first NCAA Cross Country team title since 1987. Led by the courageous efforts of Hasay (3rd), Pappas (8th) and Katie Conlon (39th), the Ducks crushed the field beating runner-up Providence by an impressive 69-point margin. Stanford finished third with 198 points while Florida State finished fourth with 202 points.
Men of Oregon Earn At-Large Bid to NCAA Championships The Men of Oregon began the 2012 season with an impressive showing at the Bill Dellinger Invitational finishing a close second behind #3 ranked BYU. Senior Trevor Dunbar captured the individual title with junior Ben DeJarnette close behind, finishing third. Just a few weeks later the Ducks were guided by Dunbar and juniors Parker Stinson and DeJarnette to a third place finish behind top-ranked Colorado and BYU at the NCAA Pre-Nationals in Louisville. At the Pac-12 Championship two weeks later, Dunbar and Stinson led the Ducks to a third-place team finish for the second year in a row, placing third and fourth individually. Colorado defended their team title with Stanford finishing second. After a fourth place finish at the NCAA West Region Championship, the Ducks fell short of an automatic berth (top 2 teams) to the NCAA Championship but were granted an at-large bid to Louisville after solid regular season team performances. Senior Trevor Dunbar was the top finisher at the NCAA Championship placing 41st on the 10,000 meter course in 30:04.8. During the course of the weekend in Louisville, junior Ben DeJarnette was awarded the prestigious NCAA Elite 89 Award. Founded by the NCAA, the award recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition in his or her sport by participating in the NCAA Championship, while also achieving the highest cumulative grade-point average.
Friends of Oregon Track and Field Newsletter
Message from Vin This is always a great time of the year, full of planning, activity and excitement for what’s happening right now as well as getting ready for what is ahead. Congratulations to our coaches and womens team for punctuating an outstanding cross country season with an NCAA National Championship! I’m sure you are following our student-athletes as they compete on the road during the indoor season, and that you are looking forward to seeing them at Hayward Field this spring. I am looking forward to seeing you at our home meets and back at Hayward June 5-8, for the 2013 NCAA Track & Field Championships. When we hosted in 2010, we raised the attendance bar for the Championship and you made sure the student-athletes were welcomed and cheered on to great performances. So let’s raise the bar again for 2013 and create lifelong memories for you, your family and all the student-athletes experiencing the Hayward magic! I am also thrilled to be welcoming back Oregon Track & Field Alumni for the Reunion on June 7. It is always a special event when the Oregon teams throughout the years come together and share stories, friendships and laughter. And with outstanding NCAA competition that includes big finals before and after the reunion festivities, it’s a weekend you won’t want to miss! Go Ducks!
Vin Lananna Associate Athletic Director
Message from Coach Johnson This fall was another extraordinary season for the Ducks. Our women’s cross country team served as the capstone to historic performances by our program. I could not be prouder of the way our women competed, dominating the NCAA Championships with the fifth largest margin of victory in meet history and earning our third women’s cross country NCAA title. Along with our outstanding distance runners, coaches Andy and Maurica Powell did an outstanding job leading our teams to success this fall. As I write this, we are nearing the middle of our indoor season and are looking forward to a trip back to the University of Arkansas in March, the place where our women’s team began their NCAA title streak three years ago. Our teams this year feature an exciting mix of veteran seniors and talented freshman and sophomores. It is the final indoor season for some of the most decorated seniors in our program’s history, including All-Americans Elijah Greer, Becca Friday, Jordan Hasay, Anne Kesselring and Alexi Pappas. We will look to these individuals to lead our team this year. Thank you for your continued support. Go Ducks!
Head Coach Robert Johnson
GoDucks.com
Indoor Track & Field Season
Above: 2012 Oregon women celebrating their third consecutive indoor title.
The indoor track and field season promises to be another historic season for the Men and Women of Oregon. Last year’s record breaking indoor campaign saw NCAA Champions English Gardner and Brianne Theisen lead the women’s team to Oregon’s third consecutive NCAA Championship. School record holder Mike Berry led the men’s team with his third place finish in the 400 meters at NCAA’s last year. This season will see Gardner return with four other NCAA Champion teammates – Phyllis Francis, Jordan Hasay, Anne Kesselring, and Laura Roesler. The Ducks will look to score major points in nearly every event on the track, including the distance medley relay (where Oregon returns all four legs from an NCAA runnerup team a year ago), the mile (where seniors Hasay and Becca Friday are the top two returners), and the 60 meters (where last year’s champion Gardner will look to defend her title). The men’s team, just three seasons removed from an NCAA Indoor Championship in 2009, will look towards a valuable mix of NCAA Championship
experience and youth to improve upon last year’s team finish. Berry in the 400 meters will once again lead the team’s efforts but will be boosted by the return of Elijah Greer who, after redshirting the 2012 indoor season, comes back as one of the top 800 meter runners in the country. After a early season good showing in the 5000 meters, sophomore Jeramy Elkaim looks to leads the long distance crew this Indoor season. A freshman sensation last spring, sophomore All-American hurdler Johnathan Cabral will race towards his first NCAA indoor appearance. Javelin star Sam Crouser will make his Oregon indoor debut in the shot put this season; he was the Oregon state champion in that event as a high school senior. A new qualifying system for the NCAA Indoor Championships adds another interesting dimension into this year’s meet. Along with a new formula that “indexes” facilities based on track size, the NCAA has removed automatic and provisional qualifying times and will simply advance the top 16 individuals in each event (12 relay teams).
2013 University of Oregon Remaining Indoor Schedule February 8-9 Husky Classic Seattle, WA Tyson Invitational Fayetteville, AR February 22-23 MPSF Championships Seattle, WA March 1-2 Alex Wilson Invitational South Bend, IN March 8-9 NCAA Championships Fayetteville, AR
Friends of Oregon Track and Field Newsletter
GoDucks.com
Alumni & Duck Fans Mark Your Calendars! 2013 Oregon Track & Field Alumni Reunion, Friday, June 7, 2013, 7-9:30pm Founders Club, Matthew Knight Arena Oregon Track & Field alums, come back and join your teammates in celebrating our past, present and future. It’s a wonderful time to reminsce about our unprecedented history and revisit incredible memories from our time at Oregon and Hayward Field. The reunion will follow Day 3 of the NCAA Championships and your registration fee includes food (heavy hors d’oevres), drink and 2013 reunion attendee gifts. Please use the form below to register in advance.
NCAA & Season Tickets on Sale Friday, February 15 Support you Ducks!
TrackTown Tuesday’s Join us on the first Tuesday of every month as we bring the community together to celebrate and recognize those who make TrackTown USA such a special place.
For dates, times and upcoming locations, please visit
Get your tickets for the NCAA Outdooor Track & Field Championships, June 5-8, & Season Tickets for all our Outdoor Home Meets @ goducks.com/tracktickets 2013 University of Oregon Outdoor Home Meet Schedule
March 16 Oregon Preview Eugene, OR April 6 Pepsi Team Invitational Eugene, OR April 19-20 Oregon Relays/ Eugene, OR Oregon Men vs Arkansas Eugene, OR May 3 Oregon Twilight Eugene, OR June 5-8 NCAA Outdoor Championships Eugene, OR
gotracktownusa.com
Follow the Ducks on Facebook and Twitter! @oregontf Robert Johnson: @Run4Ducks Vin Lananna: @vinlananna
www.facebook.com/oregontf
Alumni Reunion Registration - June 7, 2013
Return to: Oregon Track & Field, Alumni Reunion, 2727 Leo Harris Parkway, Eugene, OR 97401 Name: ___________________________________________________________________ Graduation Year: ____________ Phone Number: _____________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________ City: ________________ State: ______ Zip: ______________ Email Address: (please provide, so we can forward you info regarding the reunion): _____________________________________________ ____ Please Charge my Mastercard/Visa #: ___________________________________________________________________________ Credit Card Expiration Date: _____________ Security Code (on back of card): _____________ ____ Enclosed please find a check payable to UO Athletic Department Number of tickets requested: _______ x $35.00 = ____________ In order to help us print name tags properly, please list all guests who will be attending. A ticket is required for each guest. For questions, please email oregontfalumni@gmail.com. For information on accommodations, please visit EugeneCascadesCoasts.org
University of Oregon Track & Field Len Casanova Athletic Center 2727 Leo Harris Parkway Eugene, Oregon 97401-8833 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Getting To Know Jenna Prandini 1. Most memorable track and field moment... Competing at Hayward Field for junior nationals and making the USA junior team. 2. I chose UO because… This is where I felt at home. I loved everything about it here, the team, the coaches, the facilities, and the fans!
9. Best advice you’ve ever received… My dad has always told me three things growing up: to believe in myself, don’t be afraid of hard work, and to never quit. 10. Favorite T.V. show…Greys Anatomy 11. Favorite athlete…Allyson Felix
3. Favorite musician…Beyoncé
12. Most prized possession…My family
4. Favorite actor/actress…Channing Tatum
13. If you could meet three people living or dead, who would they be? Michael Jackson, Taylor Swift, Channing Tatum
5. Favorite movie…Pitch Perfect 6. Favorite food… My Nonno’s Homemade Raviolis 7. Hero… My mom 8. Favorite quote… ”You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose” Dr. Seuss
14. Something most people don’t know about you… I love to cook